44 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Series 4, Volume 64, Supplement 1 
Due to the transient use of caves by reptiles and anurans in California these taxa play a very 
minor role in cave ecosystems, and caves are of minimal importance to populations of these taxa. 
Most salamander species recorded from caves in California, Ensatina eschscholtzii (ensatina) and 
species of Aneides, Batrachoseps, and Taricha, presumably fill a similar role. Two genera, how¬ 
ever, may have the potential to play a larger role in cave ecosystems. Dicamptodon, specifically 
D. ensatus (Pacific giant salamander, Fig. 93) from caves in the Santa Cruz Karst, is regularly 
recorded both as larvae and adults (Anonymous 1964). They may be important predators in these 
caves. This genus also has neotenic representatives, but these have not been recorded in caves to 
date. 
The genus Hydromantes is represented by three species endemic to California. Two, H. brunus 
(limestone salamander) and H. shastae (Shasta salamander, Fig. 94), are restricted to limestone 
substrates including caves. Although the bulk of the populations are presumably epigean, they reg¬ 
ularly occur in caves, especially during dry periods and are potentially an important component of 
cave ecosystems. H. shastae has been reported using caves as ovipositing sites for their terrestrial 
eggs (Gorman 1956). A sister genus, Speleomantes, occurs in Italy (including Sardinia) and France 
in similar habitats. These two genera are a remarkable example of disjunction within the Family 
Plethodontidae, a taxon that is, except for two small genera, restricted to the New World, where it 
is quite diverse. 
One additional geographic anomaly is the occurrence of Aneides lugubris (arboreal salaman¬ 
der) on Southeast Farallon Island, including a sea cave (Lee et al. 2012). The Farallon Islands are 
approximately 48 km west of the mainland opposite San Francisco. The maximum water depth is 
approximately 60 meters, and the islands were consequently connected to the mainland during the 
low sea level stands in the late Pleistocene Epoch, as discussed above regarding Farallonophilus 
cavernicolus cave crickets. The Farallon population is not currently recognized as taxonomically 
distinct from the mainland populations, and is most closely related to populations from the adja¬ 
cent mainland. The Farallon Islands were potentially colonized by A. lugubris when the Farallon 
Islands were connected to the mainland. Alternatively, Aneides lugubris may have rafted to the Far- 
allons on vegetation, potentially in large logs that are frequently washed out of the large rivers of 
the mainland. Rafting most likely accounts for the presence of Aneides lugubris on Catalina Island, 
one of the Channel Islands off southern California. Salamanders of the genus Batrachoseps and 
several additional amphibians and reptiles are also found on several of the Channel Islands. The 
California Channel Islands are separated from the mainland by deep water and have not been con¬ 
nected to the mainland during the Pleistocene, if at all. 
Despite the richness of the California cave fauna, the relative rarity and lack of cave-adapted 
amphibians in California is what should be anticipated given the ecological conditions that prevail. 
Bats (Class Mammalia, Order Chiroptera) 
At least 19 of the 27 species of bats in California have inhabited California’s caves, mines, and 
tunnels (see Table 10 and Appendix 1). Early observations often were of collected bats from sci¬ 
entific surveys, while many later records tended to be sightings in which the species or even the 
genus and family could not be reliably identified. Reliable identifications and counts of bats are 
few, but are becoming more common as bats decline and conservation-based studies are support¬ 
ed. Since the 1980s mist net and harp trap surveys at some cave entrances have identified and 
released several species of bats. Some workers have used night vision scopes or infrared cameras. 
